403 Forbidden

JACKSON, MI - A major overhaul of I-94 through Jackson County expected to begin in the next couple years will be pushed back even further as state transportation officials search for an identity for about nine miles of the highway.

This means spending $400,000 on a consultant to study and gather extensive public input on a level that some officials say has never taken place in Jackson before. Besides a delay in the next phase of bringing I-94 up to standards, the input process could end up costing more money than originally planned. But, to state transportation officials, the delay is worth the end result.

"It should be a decision between us and the community. The process, quite frankly, has not taken place in Jackson," Paul C. Ajegba, an engineer with the Michigan Department of Transportation University Region told a room of city, county and MDOT officials recently.

The inclusive process, referred to as Context Sensitive Solutions, includes collaboration between the community, businesses, elected officials and government.

Besides aesthetics and identifying a theme or identity for the corridor -- such as archways at each overpass or lighting along bridges -- the process also involves identifying other aspects of the freeway including how traffic moves, according to MDOT engineer Jack Rick.

The state will shell out about $77 million in the next five years to continue work on about nine miles of the outdated highway from the M-60 interchange east to the Sargent Road interchange.

Stepping back

Moving forward with the project requires taking a two-year step back to allow time to gather input and conduct studies, officials say.

The outdated Cooper Street and Grand River bridges were scheduled for replacements in 2016 and 2017, respectively, but now will take place in 2018 and 2019. The archaic Cooper Street interchanges, originally planned for 2017, also will take place in 2018 and 2019as well as aroad realignment project between Lansing Avenue and Elm Road. The road realignment includes shifting the highway to the south about 60 feet in this stretch.

Car crashes on I-94 at the Cooper Street interchange are not uncommon due to the short, curvy on-ramp, making it hard for drivers to reach high rates of speed quickly before the merge lane abruptly ends. This interchange is part of the original design of I-94, which was constructed in the early 1950s.

State officials, though, say if they are going to invest millions into the stretch of highway, the delay is just a minor setback.

Ajegba said the I-94 corridor, including the bridges, needs to reflect the identity of the community. The idea is to maintain one theme along the corridor, which could include more advanced bridge designs which resemble one another, and other aesthetic features like etches in the structures or a common color.

While some might wonder if the state is delaying the long term project due to a lack of money, Ajegba disagrees. From 2009 to 2021, the state will spend about $140 million on I-94 in Jackson.

"If we are going to spend half-a-billion dollars, we want to do it right," he said. "The community should get a say in what they want."

MDOT officials are hoping residents, business owners and other stakeholders will attend future construction meetings and help to identify a theme as well as traffic issues.

A series of public meetings are set for the coming months and Ajegba said the community will get to vote on what the end result will look like.

While state officials believe the delay will pay off, one county road official questioned the move saying the bridges in Jackson should be "cookie-cutter" designs and the delay will end up costing more on engineering, overhead and design work.

"I'm convinced most people want to see action. Delays are costly no matter how you cut the mustard," said Joe Michalsky an engineer with the Jackson County Department of Transportation.

Revisiting past work

The state could go back to the bridges that have already been reconstructed to ensure they fit the future theme of the highway. Ajegba said the bridges in "retrospect" were not the best designs. Those include the Hawkins Road (2009,) Dettman Road (2010) and Sargent Road (2012) bridges.

"The Sargent Road Bridge, to me, is just another bridge," Ajegba said "It should have a Jackson identity."

Others have said though that the structures were deteriorating to a point where delays to gather extensive public input would have been dangerous.

State officials are aware of the highway's pitfalls. But funding -- especially for such a large-scale project like I-94 would need -- can be impossible to secure.

A 2000 modernization study estimated the price tag to fix the biggest problems on I-94 at $409 million. The end date of the project, as well as securing funding, is a moving target but state officials said they hope to have the highway up to standards by 2035.

Jackson County Board of Commissioner David Elwell attended the meeting with state officials regarding the input process and the project delay. He questioned the need for the process given the current condition of the freeway.

"I hate to see so much invested in aesthetics when everyone is hurting for road money right now," Elwell said.

Ajegba explained it might not cost as much as some might think, but the state won't know until they get to the "nitty-gritty" of the design.

Stakeholder and public meetings have not been scheduled yet, but will take place in the fall and winter months. Development of the aesthetic features of the corridor will take place in 2015.